Jiri Roden, believed to have been the last living Czechoslovak pilot who served in the British Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II, passed away in May. The Czech embassy in London announced the news today on Facebook and mentioned that they only received the news of his death now.

Roden was born in Moravska Ostrava, now part of Ostrava, in 1923. In August 1939, he was part of the last train that successfully transported Czechoslovak Jewish children from Prague to Britain, organized by Nicholas Winton as part of the Czech kindertransport.

During WWII, he joined the RAF and served with the 312th Czechoslovak Fighter Squadron. After the war, he briefly returned to Czechoslovakia before settling in London. 88 pilots from Czechoslovakia fought in the RAF during the Battle of Britain alongside over 2,300 British and several hundred foreign pilots

Article by Prague Forum